Lots of good vibes needed for Widdershins and Eva! *update*

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Widdershins is still doing well! Thankfully, the Enalapril tastes only a little salty, and the Lasix tastes like oranges. He takes both with no problems :) My optimism is still very guarded, since I know he can't get any better - I'm just making him more comfortable. Though, I am going to take him back to the vet's office in about a week, get another x-ray, and see if he has improved at all with the new drugs.

I'm wondering what I'm supposed to do with him. Currently he's in a smaller cage by himself. Considering his heart condition, I'm really worried that putting him back in the big cage will send him back to choking/gasping, even if just from going up/down the ramps. I'm thinking about purchasing a large one-level cage and having him and Nigel live in it. Though, I would hate to subject Nigel to that, since he loves all the other ratties.

What would you do? :?
 
If he is doing well on the meds I would just keep him on them probably for the rest of his life. I would put him back in with everyone that way everything is normal other than the meds. I think he will know his limitations to running and playing.
 
SoA, the wonderful thing about your huge cage is that there is so much horizontal space. An infirm ratty would have loads of room to roam without ever having to climb a ramp, but you could also lower the shelf of whatever level Widdershins is living on. If he was too sick to climb up or down, he probably would stop doing so.
 
The worst torture man could devise is to keep you alive and breathing while taking away everything that made it worthwhile.
Would you rather have 2 days with your friends & family or 2 months in a strange place never alllowed to be with them?

I think if his life isn't just threatened but definitely incipiently terminal you should give him back as much of it as you can before it's over. I'd put him back with his friends if he was happy there before.
 
Last night I took the plunge and I put him back in the big cage :) I held my breath for the first 30 minutes or so, but he's doing great! He's still breathing better than he has in months, and still taking his medications like a good boy, so I'm able to finally utter at least a small sigh of relief. I'm going to take him back in to the vet's office next Friday, to get a second set of films and see if there has been any real improvement.

He's happy to be back :D

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Just an update :)

Widdershins is doing WORLDS better! At times, he will have labored breathing and will hunker down into a laying position, but I think that's because he knows his boundaries now. Once he starts feeling a little worn out or under the weather, he quickly flattens out and just breathes.

He's been taking his medication faithfully (though some days I do have to coax him by smearing it on a treat!). Still no gasping attacks since the original vet visit/before starting the new meds.

Because Widdershins has cardiomyopathy, and the fact that a boy related to him died from heart problems, I decided to take Nigel (Widdershins' brother) in for an x-ray today, just to be sure everything's okay. Nigel is healthy as a horse, but I wanted to be certain he was okay on the inside too. Thankfully, his heart looks perfect! :heart:

Thanks to the Antirobe, which is a godsend for abscesses, Eva's jaw lump/abnormality/thing has disappeared. I guess she was ingesting some of the medication - coulda fooled me! Since the Antirobe is so utterly bitter (think 100x worse than Baytril, it smells of pure alcohol) there was no food I could hide it in, and just had to syringe it into her mouth and smear what drooled out on to her face, in hopes of her grooming it off after the initial dragging her face on the ground after I put her back in the cage :p

I'm very happy that I can start socializing her now that the Antirobe course is over. She's absolutely terrified of being handled, and every single time I'd bring her out to give her the medication, she'd pee on me. Ah well, I'm sure there's a very sweet girl in there just itching to come out!
 
I'm so happy for you and the little ones that you are seeing such great improvement in Eva, and that Widdershins (love that name) is living comfortably. And of course that Nigel doesn't share his brother's problems.
I guess you'll rest much easier knowing your kids aren't in distress. Big love to Widdersins and hopes that he had learned his limits and is comfortable to stay within them and and that they stay comfortable for him!
 
Wonderful!!! Widdershins will be with us for awhile longer, and Eva..wow, tumours/abscesses on the jaw/cheek always worry me so congrats to both of you for beating that one down into submission :thumbup:
 

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